The present disclosure relates generally to the reduction of a hip fracture by the placement of a bone plate and associated bone fasteners with instrumentation.
A procedure regularly performed by orthopedic surgeons is the reduction of a hip fracture caused by trauma. The site of this type of fracture typically exists at the proximal portion of the femur below the head. In order to reduce a fracture of this type, an elongated lag screw is threadingly advanced into the shaft, neck, and head of the femur, and secured to a bone plate. Cortical screws are used to secure the bone plate to the femur distal to the fracture site. Tightening of the lag screw compresses the bone fragments together and facilitates healing of the femur. Many devices have been designed for this type of reduction including the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,438,762, 3,554,193, and 2,526,959, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
During the above procedure, it is necessary to advance a bone plate into a seated arrangement with a lag screw barrel through which the lag screw extends. When the hip fracture reduction procedure is performed in a minimally invasive manner, visual confirmation of proper seating of the bone plate with the lag screw barrel may be difficult, if not impossible. Indeed, in a minimally invasive hip reduction procedure, the bone plate and lag screw barrel may be covered in large part by a patient's body tissues such as skin and soft tissue. It would be desirable if the implants and instrumentation used in a hip fracture procedure would facilitate confirmation of proper seating of the bone plate with the lag screw barrel. Moreover, it would be desirable if such implants and instrumentation that would facilitate confirmation of proper seating of the bone plate with the lag screw barrel were relatively easy to use.
What is needed therefore is apparatus that facilitate confirmation of proper seating of a bone plate with a lag screw barrel during a hip fracture reduction procedure. What is also needed is apparatus that facilitate confirmation of proper seating of a bone plate with a lag screw barrel during a minimally invasive hip fracture reduction procedure. What is further needed is such apparatus that are easy to use.